Safety device



July 1933- QCHAMBERS 1,920,001

SAFETY DEVICE FiledvDec. 15, 1930 IHIHHII Patented July 25, 1933 1 UNITED STATES:

PATENT oFFIcE JOHN C. CHAMBERS, F BBIDGEIORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 ADDRESSOGRAPH COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE SAFETY DEVICE Application filed December 15, 1930. Serial No. 502,296.

This invention relates, to safety devices especially adaptable for use on printing machines and the like wherein a-plurality of sheets are successively withdrawn from a supporting rack and sequentially passed through the machine.

The salient object of the" invention is to provide a novel safety device engageable with the sheets in the supporting rack to prevent the withdrawal of more than one sheet at a time from said rack.

Another object is to provide a safety device that may be accurately positioned to ensure proper operation.

.A further object is to provide a safety device which may be expeditiously mounted in position in a'manner that will not in any way interfere with other portions of the machine.- Y V A selected embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevationalview of one end of a typical printing machine with which my invention. is associated;

Fig. 2 is a viewtaken substantially onthe line 2,2 of- Fig. 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale; 3

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail view illustratingthe operation of my safety device;

and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the device. r 1

In the accompanying drawing wherein a selected embodiment of the invention is illustrated; I have shown the invention assocciated'with a printing machine of a character ,wherein the sheets are arranged in a rack located atone end of the machine.

The sheets are sequentially withdrawn from the rackand passed through the machineto be addressed or to, have other operations performed thereon as, for example, if the sheets to be printed are checks they may be passed through the machine to have a sig nature printed thereon. When the machine is used in this manner it is of utmost, importance that each sheet or check passed through the machine have an impression .1nade thereon but if twov sheets are withsupporting rack and withdrawing means of y the character with which my invention may be advantageously associated is disclosed in the application of Walter T. Gollwitzer, Se-

rialNo. 497,440, filed in the United States Patent Ofiice on November 22, 1930. As set forthin that application; a rack 5 is mounted at one end ofgthe machine 6 and this rack includes a flat backing plate arranged to extend substantially vertically and this plate is preferablyof less length than the sheets arranged therein so that the upper ends of the sheets will extend beyond the upper end of the plate as illustrated in Fig. 2. The sheets are held in engagement with the. plate of the rack by a follower block 7 resting against the outermost of the sheets arranged in the rack between the side members 8, 8 thereof. Pivotally mounted at 9 on the frame of the machine is a link 10 carrying a sucker bar 11 having a plurality of nozzles 12 thereon. The sucker bar 11 is connected to a suitable air exhausting means and the nozzles thereon are movable into engagement with the sheet engaging the fiat plate'of the rack 5 as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Therefore,'since air is being drawn into the sucker bar 11 through openings in the nozzles 12 it is manifest that engagement of the nozzles 12 with the sheet will close the openings therein and thus a vacuum will be drawn which will cause the sheet to tightly adhere to the nozzles. The nozzles 12 are then moved into the full line position of Fig. 2 below the periphery of the feed roller 13 and as the nozzles pass below the periphery of the feed roller, the vacuum drawn into the sucker bar is broken and therefore the sheet will be released from the nozzles and at the time the vacuum is broken the clamping roller 14 will have been moved above the sheet line positionof said figure, the sheet is bent' rack 5 and pass it into the machine. As

the nozzles 12 move downwardly from the dotted line positionof Fig.2 into the 1 full substantially as illustrated. -in;dotted lines and'as soon as thesheet has -movedsuflt ciently to clear the hue of movement of a retaining finger bar'15 it is moved from the'dotted line position of Fig. 2 into the full line position thereof wherein it rests on the sheets remaining in the rack 5 to hold these .sheets against movementwwhen the sheet being withdrawn is *movedbythe action of the roller .18. NVhile the sheets are picked up by pneumatic means, fitlmay sometimes happen that more thanone sheet will be'picked up and to prevent this I have provided the safety'device formingithe sub ject matter. "of this invention and which includes the'following mechanisms.

A bracket generallyindicated by is provided which 1 includes a vertically extending arm'117 and a horizontally I extend ing arm 18 having a threaded opening '19 therein. A substantially .L-shaped bracket 20-is provided includinganarm 21 h aving I a slot 22ftherein' through:whichethetscrewj 28 is passed and/said,screwiis=-fittedfinto provided on the arm "25, of thebracket 2O and in "the bifurcation thereof .the'flugi 2.7 .on the pawl .28 is pivotally mounted QnTtliQ pin 26. The pawl 28 includes, a knife edge 29; In the arm 17 of the bracket 'lfti'theie is a slot 30 through which thestemxof the thumb screw 31 is extended,- said scre Ifit- I ting in :a threaded opening in the wall: of the'housing-32 of the'machinez6'." In use preferably :two such devices are-provided which are arranged inside by sideirelation as illustrated in .Figi'l andthe devicesare so disposed that the pawls 28 will engage the sheets on opposite sides Of,fb11t closely adjacent to, the center of the sheets. By.

loosening the screw 23 .the arm21 maybe adjusted along the arml8 so :that the knife.

edge 29 on the pawl 28 willbe disposed rela- :t-iVe to the-upper edge ofuthe sheetsuini the rack 5 to slightly bendthe-sameina diliec I tion away from .the plate as illustrated in Fig. :2 when thepawl 28 is in normal posi-r The-pawlv28 isheld in this normal [position by the spring extending between spring anchors onthepawlz28 and'thefarm 25 and th s spilng urges the inneredge of the lug 27 into engagement with the'bot tom of the bifurcation-in the lug 24 to d-[f termine the normal position of said pawl. Preferably the knife edge 29 of the pawll '28 Will-b6 "disposed to extend aslightdisw screw 31 to land the knife edge 29 thereof will drag over the'upper edge .of the sheet being moved by the nozzles 12 and will therefore effectively separate the sheets sincethe knife edge thereon will tend to move between the edge of the sheet being moved and the adja cent sheet 1111 the rack. I I

Since the pawl 1s sprung-urged into POSI- tion and includes a knife edge, it is manifest thatan effective separation of :the sheets will. occur. Moreover, the device "is arranged;sowthatdit can be very accurately adjusted in. order that it will properly engage the sheets to ensure separation thereof and it is therefore manifest that it will effectively perform -;its function as a safety device.

In the foregoing description I have set capablelof variation :and modification and {1' thereforedo not wis'hato be limited to the M precise-.adetails set forth but desire to avail myself ofichang es and modifications falling I I within the purviewbf'the' :followingclaims. the threaded opening"l9' torelamp theia'rm r 21 topthe arm 18. A bifureatedfil'ug241ssupporting rack and means for withdrawingisheets therefrom, the combination of a forth a selected embodiment of my 'inven-' -tion; but itis toube understood that this is safety device including a pivotallymounted with'the edges of'the sheets and yieldably urged in't'osheet engaging position and mov- Ya'b'le over saidgedgeslto ensnre separation of said "sheets soithat the sheets will be withdrawn from said rack one at a time, means member :embod'yinga knife edge .engageable by said member may-be moved relative tov the ends of said sheets, and means providing another adjustment of said supporting means wherebysaid*member' may be moved -I'elative to the face :of'said sheets.

2. A safety devicefor ensuring the withgagea'ble with'said sheets and movable over ems drawing of sheets from a supporting rack one at a tlIIiGlfiIIld including a member enfor securing 'said' member in position and" affording adjustment thereof toward and away from "the ends of the sheets-to be engaged tliereby," and means affording adjustment of saidimem'ber relative to the face of said :sheets; L I I 3. A safety device ineludin'gan adjustabliy mounted bracket, :1. supportingmember a u'stably mounted on said bracket, a pawl pivotallymounted on said supporting member, yieldable' means for urging said pawl in a given direction, and means on said pawl and engageable with said supporting member for limiting the action of said yieldable means to determine the normal position of said pawl.

4. A safety device including a bracket, a

supporting member adjustably mounted on said bracket and having a bifurcated lug, a

pawl pivotally mounted in the bifurcation,

in said lug, a spring disposed between said pawl and said suporting member and acting on said pawl, and means for limiting the action of said spring.

5. A safety device including a bracket embodying a vertically extending arm and a horizontally extending arm, a substantially L-shaped bracket having one arm thereof slidably connected to the horizontally disposed arm of said first-named bracket and having a bifurcated lug on the other arm thereof, a pawl including a knife edge, means pivotally supporting said pawl in said bifurcation, and means positioning saidpawl in a predetermined position.

6. A safety device including a supporting bracket, a substantially L-shaped bracket having one arm thereof adjustably connected to said supporting bracket, a bifurcated lug on the other arm of said L-shaped'bracket, a pawl having a boss thereon disposed in said bifurcation and pivotally connected to the parts defining said bifurcation, and a spring extending between said L-shaped bracket and said pawl and acting thereon to urge the end of said pawl on the side of said boss opposite the side thereof engaged by said spring into a predetermined posi- 

